Optic Verve LLC

Working with Anna was a delight on all fronts. At our first consultation, she immediately understood my objectives for designing my long, narrow, parking strip (that gets blasted with afternoon sun), and she quickly delivered a sketch that ticked every box.The plantings stayed low to the ground (for visibility), included lots of pollinator plants for my bees, lots of the contrasting silvery foliage I'd requested, and mostly low maintenance plants with year round interest. There are multiple stone pathways to let people easily cross it, but they have a meandering, naturalistic feel that adds charm to the narrow, awkward, plot. Anna's eye for plant combinations is impressive, and even though the plants just went in, and are still quite small, and it's also the middle of a warm, soggy, winter, I've already had THREE different neighbors reach out to tell me how much they love it. Can't wait to see it filled out and flowering! Planning, soil prep, procurement, and planting all went smoothly and quickly. Anna and her trusty sidekick Honorio were a great team, warm and communicative. I'm already eyeing other "problem" areas to transform with their help.

The exterior wood siding and trim of my 1942 house really needed new paint, but I wasn’t sure what color scheme to use, so I reached out to my neighbor, Anna Kullgren, who I knew had her own design business and had a reputation for helping others choose great color schemes. Boy, that was a good decision. From the get-go, Anna encouraged me to drive around town to take pictures of color schemes I was comfortable with and then asked many questions about my choices to get a sense of what I envisioned and what I would be comfortable with—before she presented color scheme recommendations. I wanted warmer colors to offset the very gray days we have here in Portland throughout the winter months. I was leaning toward a dark orange base color with shades of gold and green for the trim. Fortunately, Anna convinced me to go with a less-orange rustic brick. To this day, I receive compliments on the color choices. I strongly recommend Anna when choosing your colors.

Anna is an absolute gem and a delightful person to work with. We found her through Houzz and couldn't be happier with every project she's helped on. We initially worked with Anna on colors for our historic house - first the exterior and later for interior colors, and then for our landscape design. She is so knowledgeable about color theory, loves bold combinations, understands how to build a whole house color plan and helped us pick out a unique palette that still takes my breath away. We have neighbors CONSTANTLY asking us for our colors and even one bold lady who was on our porch with a color deck, trying to copy our colors. Inside our house, we have some spaces that are bold and others that are more serene but everything makes sense and the colors work beautifully together. Anna is also a talented landscape designer with an encyclopedic knowledge of plants. She has created a thorough landscape plan for our front and back yards, taking into account our chickens, desire to have a vegetable garden and fruit trees and she shares my love of tropicals and faux tropical plants that can grow in the PNW. Not only did she create our plans, she gave us great sources for buying plants and everything we need. I'm astounded that she was able to fit in all our asks on our small lot: deck for entertaining, hot tub, chicken coop, veggie garden, fruit trees, etc. I can't recommend Anna highly enough - she's remarkable!

We worked with Anna to create a landscape design for our house in the Hawthorne neighborhood. The space was relatively small, and we were having trouble figuring out how to make the most of the space. Anna provided a great layout that involved extending the usable space in innovative ways. Repositioning a deck we needed to rebuild either way, and adding a ton of natural light to a new living/relaxing space in the garage. Definitely recommend 10/10!!!

Anna was delightful to work with! We needed help finding plants that were shade tolerant, grew well in clay, and were resistant to deer. We wanted input on plant placement and how to make the most of our wooded, steeply sloped back yard. She created a plan that took all that into account, but also paid attention to how the landscaping would be viewed from inside our house. She was onsite several times throughout our project and was always available by text or email to answer our many questions. She also shared resources like the best nurseries, products, and landscaper to help us implement her plan. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Anna!

I highly recommend Anna for any project you have. She is creative and experienced and not afraid to veer away from complex landscaping projects. We bought an old North Portland complete fixer with a complicated lot layout and she helped us to come up with a plan that incorporates our current layout. She took an odd small yard and created a space for us to have guests, relax, and enjoy. Our project has been very slow moving as we complete different aspects of our remodel. Anna has been able to adapt and adjust as needed and step in as we complete different projects. We had her create a plan for both front and back yard, with plants and hardscaping. She sourced and delivered all plants and placed them in the correct spot to be planted by us. Her prices are great. She is personable and kind and a great communicator.

I recently had an appointment with Anna Kullgren of OPTIC VERVE to get her assessment regarding a color that I had selected for a kitchen cabinet update. I can honestly say that she saved me from a near disaster in color choice. Her opinion that the color was lacking in contrast to other colors featured was totally correct! Anna has an educated AND intuitive sense of color and design. She is amazing!!! I found Anna to be straightforward, NOT intimidating, and supremely knowledgeable. She is charming, has a sense of humor. and easy to work with. She spent time with me discussing the merits of other colors and why they would work harmoniously. I was delighted with our meeting and felt that she was a person that I could always call for advice on any other decorating dilemmas. I highly recommend Anna and her company Optic Verve. I found Anna and Optic Verve through a previous recommendation on Houzz. So thankful for that introduction!!!!!

Anna is WONDERFUL! Her knowledge for landscape design is amazing! She helped us create a beautiful plan for our yard, working with us to match our preferences for upkeep, our desire to have lots of color, and to make our space more "interesting!" Anna is fun to work with! Her love for the garden is contagious! Thank you Anna!

Anna worked with me to change our back patio from dark and uninviting to lush green with many interesting points of interest. Anna is very knowledgeable about all aspects of landscaping. She is outgoing and very personable. You will definitely have a positive experience when you meet her. Will/Sheri

The first thing to know is I was NOT a plant geek. My yard was too big for me to handle and I needed a landscape that did not require constant care. Low maintenance was my priority. Anna showed me her plan and I thought it was interesting. Certainly, nothing I could have come up with. We planted her vision about six months ago. WOW, now my yard is a showcase and the maintenance is very reasonable. I can see the vision and am excited to work with her again for the next phase. I highly recommend Anna and Optic Verve. Julie

Anna Kullgren is a delightful, competent landscape designer who, in our case made a suggestion that changed out plan regarding new plants in a hot, sunny area which gets no irrigation! In addition, she was able to supply plants that should do well in such an area and be beautiful after initial watering in. That is a very rare combination in our experience!

I was drawn to Anna as a longtime follower of her excellent gardening blog, and so approached her about the possibility of consulting with me on a privacy screen project for my small garden. Because she lived quite a distance from me, I asked if she’d be willing to do it via FaceTime. She agreed to give it a try and it was a fabulous success! I sent “before” pictures of the site, with notes on my intentions. During the consult time, she would show me idea sketches, while I was able to look up her plant suggestions on a separate device. At the end of our time together, I came away fully satisfied and excited about the plan. She followed up with emails of support. Anna is very experienced and knowledgeable about design and plant varieties, and she is such fun. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying experience.